


Moony, Padfoot, and Pixie Dust

by Pyxie_Dust



Series: The Werewolf's Daughter [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: But then again some people die, Everyone lives, F/M, Fluffy, M/M, Major Original Character(s), its complicated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 15:26:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6158104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyxie_Dust/pseuds/Pyxie_Dust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus, Sirius, James, and Lily are the ones to kill Voldemort during the first Wizarding War. Dumbledore finds a young baby with no home to go to and a dark secret and asks Sirius and Remus to take her in. She grows up watching Disney Movies, riding her Dad's motorbike, and desperately trying to keep the peace between her cousin and her god brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Endings and Beginnings

A shout goes up in the middle of the battle, Sirius and Remus disarm the Death Eater just in time to look up. A brilliant white stag was romping through the sky, speaking out for all to hear, “Voldemort is Dead. His horcruxes have been destroyed, lay down your wands and surrender peacefully and you may receive a fair trial. Resist and we will use brute force.” 

Out of fear and futility several Death Eaters did as the Patronus said, others thought the stag was lying about the Order members using force, they were stamped down without a second thought. Remus held Lucius Malfoy’s arms behind his back and urged him forward, “You’ll pay for this werewolf! When the Dark Lord returns, he’ll have your heads!” Remus used Incarcerous on the Death Eater’s hands and pushed, “Keep walking Malfoy.” 

Sirius came up behind Remus and looked around, all the other Death Eaters were being rounded up in the same way. With Lucius’s hands bound and his wand snapped in half, the three made their way to the epicenter of the battle. When they reached the area where James and Lily had fought Voldemort, all three men had to stop to take in what they saw. 

James and Lily were covered in grime and looked like they had just taken on a rabid beast instead of the Dark Lord. In front of the two of them was the crippled body of Lord Voldemort. His limbs stuck out at odd angles, chest concave making it into a sort of bowl shape. His familiar, Nagini, lay a shriveled husk of skin next to him. 

Lucius fell to his knees, his jaw slack and eyes wide he whispered, “My lord…” Remus looked at the pale haired man and the body of the Dark Lord. With a whispered spell he undid the man’s binds. Sirius gripped his wrist, fear and caution dancing across his face. Remus motioned to the dead body in front of him, “No need to flog a dead Hippogriff.”Sirius bit his lip, but loosened his grip. They stepped around the stunned man and made their way to their friends, James caught sight of them and gave a tired smile, “Hey guys.”

James sagged against Sirius, squinting at him because his glasses had flown off sometime during the battle. While Remus helped to steady Lily, her red hair looking much darker from all the dirt and blood in it. Looking up at her old friend and asked, “Is it really over?” Remus looked at the bodies, at the worn battlefield, at James and Sirius, “yeah Lils. I think its over.” Lily leaned against Remus and closed her eyes, “Thank Merlin.”  
~*~

Eight months went by and Remus and Sirius were relaxing in their cottage in Hogsmeade when a head appeared in the fire, “There you two are. Headmaster Dumbledore wishes to speak with the two of you.” Remus looked up from his book, “Hello Minerva. Lovely day isn’t it?” The transfigurations teacher gave him an icy look, “ Hurry to Hogwarts. I won’t ask again.” With that the floo made a whooshing noise and the professor was gone. 

Remus looked at Sirius, “You think she was Serious?” His boyfriend smirked, “No, I am.” Remus rolled his eyes and got up off the couch to grab the floo powder. 

A few moments later they arrived in the office of Headmaster Dumbledore. They dusted themselves off and greeted the old wizard, “Hello Headmaster. You look well.” Dumbledore gave a warm smile, “As do you two. Peaceful times seem to have done wonders for you.” They smiled at the old wizard and took a seat across from him.

“So Albus. Professor McGonagall said you needed our help?” Dumbledore nodded, “As you both know, during the war Voldemort had used Fenrir Greyback in creating a sort of Werewolf Army for the Death Eaters.” They nodded, “You should also know that we managed to infiltrate that army’s headquarters and managed to halt it from growing even more.” Both young men nodded again and Sirius spoke up, “If I remember it was Alastor Moody and Arthur Weasley that were sent on that mission.” 

Dumbledore nodded, “What you don’t know, is that the army they were making wasn’t what we were expecting.” Sirius’s brow furrowed, “How so?” “We thought we were going to face hordes of recently turned, adult werewolves. Instead we found a group of twenty children, all between the ages of six and eighteen.” Remus’s eyes went wide, “Children…” Dumbledore nodded, “Yes, children. They had all been kidnapped from their homes and turned unwillingly…” He turned to Remus, “much like you were.” 

Remus clenched his fists tight, anger coursing through his veins. Sirius put an arm around his lover and squeezed his shoulder, whispering, “Moony? Moony its ok. Greyback is gone now, he can’t harm anyone like you or those children ever again.” Remus relaxed a little, but did not unclench his fists. Dumbledore continued, “We managed to reunite the children with their parents, though we cannot do anything to cure the curse. However, we have delivered an experimental potion known as Wolfsbane. It should allow these children to keep their wits about them when they transform.” 

Sirius nodded and Remus unclenched his hands, he had been given wolfsbane potion as well. He looked up at the Headmaster, “So what’s the problem?” Dumbledore got up from behind his desk and motioned for the two of them to follow him, “As I’ve said, the army was made of children, and the majority of them have been reunited with their families. However, one child was unable to do so.” 

They walked out of the office and down the halls of the castle, going all the way up to the seventh floor and stopping in front of the Room of Requirement. A casual wooden door already there. Dumbledore knocked on it three times and waited for the door to open. Madam Pomfrey emerged from the room and greeted the three men, “I’ve just changed her, she might be a bit fussy, so don’t upset her.” Remus and Sirius shared a confused look as she gripped her skirts and bustled off to the hospital wing. Sirius turned to Dumbledore with raised eyebrows, “She?” Dumbledore gave them a cryptic smile and entered the room.

It was decorated much like a nursery. Little stuffed toys littered the place, a magic playmat was laid out in the middle of the floor, which was made of carpet instead of the usual stone. The walls were a rosy hue, towards the back there was a crib, a changing station, and even a rocking chair, Remus was wide eyed, “I didn’t think the Room of Requirement could do this.” Dumbledore merely chuckled.

The three made their way over to the crib, Dumbledore stopping before it and waved his hand, “Remus, Sirius, meet the youngest member of Fenrir Greyback’s werewolf army… his own daughter.” Both men leaned over the edge of the crib, fear tingling up their spines. Expecting some kind of ravenous child, they prepared themselves to witness a feral thing that was probably being held back with a number of protective spells.

Instead they found a little baby girl, no bigger than a month old. With chubby arms and legs, hands and feet covered by little mittens with stitched on crescent moons, a tuft of brown hair peeking out from her beanie. Her eyes flutter open at Remus’s gasp, silver irises focus on him for a moment before she starts to cry. Remus reels back, unsure of what he needs to do, if he should do anything at all. Then he realizes Sirius has leaned in closer to the little girl. In another moment he has her in his arms and starts rocking her, “Shhh its alright sweet heart. Hush now…” He smiles down at her, “Look at you! Tough little bugger aren’t you, guess you have to be if you’re Greyback’s kid.” 

The baby sniffles a little, but the crying has stopped and she’s curling up towards Sirius’s chest. Dumbledore smiles, “If Ive heard correctly, this kind of treatment comes from helping your cousin Narcissa Malfoy.” Sirius snorts, “That kids more fussy than this one, can’t go five minutes without crying for food or something to gum on.” Remus is baffled, but smiles at his lover, Sirius looked like a natural soothing the little girl. If he wasn’t already in love with the idiot, he would be now. Turning to Dumbledore he asked, “She’s Greyback’s daughter… that means she’s now an orphan, or is there a mother?” Dumbledore shook his head, “Greyback forced himself on a young woman after forcing her to turn, she died in childbirth.” 

Remus gave an angry snort, another life ruined because that man didn’t control himself. Dumbledore continued, “She has no family, and sadly we could not prevent the press from hearing about her original parentage.” Remus’s anger rose, “No one is willing to adopt her for fear she’ll turn out like her father.” Remus can only nod, he knows how undesirable it is to take care of a werewolf, his own father is proof of that. The fact that she’s Greyback’s daughter only seals the deal against her chances for a family, “So why are we here professor?” Dumbledore smiles warmly at Sirius, “I want to ask if the two of you would want to raise her.” 

Both men went wide eyed, Sirius stopped rocking her, “Us? Wh…Why us?” Dumbledore glanced at the girl in his man’s arms, “You, Sirius already seem capable of caring for a young child, the young Malfoy is proof enough of that. And Remus will be able to help her through the more… difficult times.” Remus rolled his eyes and looked at her, “How do we know she’s been bitten? There’s no obvious mark, and the curse isn’t genetically inherited.” Dumbledore took the baby from Sirius, she started to fuss a little, but with some rocking, she calmed down again. 

Peeling back the onesie she was wearing under her blanket, they lean in closer and grit their teeth when they see the large bite mark where her neck joins her shoulder. “She… He bit her at this age… Wait has she—” Dumbledore cut him off, “She has already gone through one transformation, but being so small, no harm was done to herself or others.” The anger rushed back in a flood through Remus’s veins, he lashes out at the nearest thing to him. His kick destroying the baby’s crib completely. The crash scares the baby and she wails, Dumbledore to soothe her by rocking, but she only wailed louder. Sirius went to help, but she was squirming too much for him to hold her properly. 

Remus saw how scared she was and shoved his anger down. He took the baby from Dumbledore’s arms and tried to calm her down, “Shh shhh… Its alright… Sorry… I’m just a little mad… you probably know how that goes… Shhh Shh, there we go. Its ok… Its ok…” She quieted down with his words, the way he rocked her making her fall asleep, in the few minutes before she fell asleep, their instincts went a little haywire. Both baby and man got a whiff of the other’s scent. In the parts of their brain where the werewolf took control, they recognized one another. The pup and the lone wolf. 

They imprinted on each other. Not in the way a wolf would choose a mate, but in the way a baby duck would think the first thing it sees is its mother. The little girl immediately latched onto Remus as her father, for days afterwards she wouldn’t let anyone get near her unless it was him, Sirius was an exception though. Remus accepted the little girl as his pup, even if the human side of him hadn’t agreed just yet. Turning to Dumbledore and Sirius he asked, “You’re sure she has nowhere else to go?” Dumbledore nods, “Greyback killed her mother’s family before forcing himself onto her. There is no one left.” Remus turned to Sirius and the other man shrugged, a warm smile on his lips, “You already know my answer.” 

Remus tightened his hold on the baby, a sense of protectiveness washing over him, “I guess you and me are going to be parents then.” Sirius nods and put an arm around Remus as he looked at the little girl, “That’s just fine.”


	2. Baths and Quidditch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a time jump for both sections of this chapter, we get to see Pyxis as a baby and Pyxis interacting with her cousins. And yes my name on this site comes from her so you don't have to ask.

“Moony!” Remus looks up from his book and called back, “Yes?!” Sirius rushes into the room, hair a bedraggled mess, eyes a little crazed, and panting harshly, “She’s crawled away again.” Remus groaned, “For the love of Merlin. All you had to do was sit her down on the floor while you got the bath ready.” He got up and walked over to Sirius, “where did you leave her?” “On the floor of the bathroom right next to me.” “Did you watch her to make sure she didn’t go anywhere?” “Yes.” “Did you make sure she wasn’t near anything she could stand near?” “Yes, Moony she’s a year old you really think she’s gonna furniture walk now?” “Was she playing with her bath toys?” “Yes.” “You made sure she wasn’t gumming on the soap?” “Of course I did.” “Did you make sure the door was closed while you were filling the tub?” “Ye…” “Padfoot?” “…” “Padfoot. Please tell me you closed the door to the bathroom.” “… I may or may not have closed the door.” 

Remus ran a hand through his hair and sighed. They made their way back to the bathroom, which proved to be clearly devoid of any baby girl whatsoever. “Alright lets check the rooms nearby first. If she’s not there, lets pray to Merlin that she hasn’t found the stairs.” Sirius nodded and the two split up. Remus went about checking the study and the baby’s room, whilst Sirius checked his and Remus’s room and the guest room. 

Sirius couldn’t find her anywhere, he checked in the closets, under the beds, under the desks, even behind the window curtains. He bit his lip in worry, How did I lose her! I looked away for two minutes! Was it two minutes? What was I even thinking about that made me space out? An image of his husband kissing a path down his neck while his hands ran along his chest entered his mind, oh yeah. He shook the image off and went down the hall, hopefully Remus was having more luck.

It didn’t take very long for Remus to find her. He followed the scent of dirty diaper and found her on the floor of her room, gumming on her favorite stuffed animal. When she caught sight of him she gurgled happily and abandoned her toy to crawl her way over to him. Scooping her up, he kissed her forehead, “You can’t keep running off like that Pup. You’re gonna give your Dad and I a heart attack.” She only gurgled in response and tried to grab at his hair, “No way missy. Smelly girls don’t get to play with their Father’s hair, now come on. Lets get you to the bath alright?” 

He walks down the hall, baby girl resting on his hip, to find an anxious Sirius coming up from the opposite direction. He sighs in relief when he sees them, “Oh thank Merlin! Where was she?” She waved a hand at Sirius and Remus hands her to him, “In her room, she was gumming on her stuffed elephant.” Sirius snorts, “She really loves that thing doesn’t she?” Remus nods, “Think you can manage to bathe her without losing her again?” 

Sirius flips him two fingers and starts removing her clothes, stopping when he gets to her diaper, “Well looks like you really need a bath now don’t you love?” She giggles and grabbed one of his longer locks of hair to tug on, “Love, no. Lovely let go of Daddy’s hair. Love stop it! Pyxis let go!” She did and he put her into the bath tub, Pyxis splashed around about in the water while Sirius sponged her off. Remus leaned against the doorframe and watched the other two. 

Pyxis was happily gurgling as Sirius tickled her ribs while sponging her down, Sirius’s shirt was completely soaked from all her splashing, but he didn’t seem to mind. The scar on Pyxis’s neck still stood out, looking like something had tried to take a chunk out of her neck instead of just a bite. Remus couldn’t have been happier though, he wondered if this would still be the same life he lived two years from now, ten years from now. A little family living in a cottage just outside of Hogsmeade… he really hoped it would. 

~*~

At four and a half years old Pyxis is puttering about on the training broom Sirius bought her. She flies in circles in the fields surrounding the town, occasionally chasing birds and butterflies when her father isn’t looking. Her brown hair is at her shoulders now, and it curls and waves so much that her parents have to constantly pull and tug when brushing her hair. Sirius has taken to braiding it into two pig tails, but she somehow always manages to lose the hair ties that holding them in place. 

One day while she and Remus were flying around on their brooms, they hear someone calling out to them. Remus stops flying for a moment and has to grab Pyxis by the back of her jumper to keep her from flying off without him. Sirius is waving for them to come back to the house, an excited smile on his face, “Come on Pixie Dust, Dad wants us to come back home now.” Pyxis turns her broom around and smiles up at her Father, “ok, les go.” She races off, flying as fast as she can on the training broom, Remus chuckles and flies after her.

Narcissa and Lily sit in the living room, chatting about their lives and discussing their sons. “Draco’s extremely curious for his age, always runs about after something shiny. He saw the mirror in some sunlight the other day and ran right into it. He didn’t stop crying for hours after.” Lily laughs, “Oh I know what you mean. Harry is obsessed with round objects, he loves to take anything circular and throw it to see if it bounces. He nearly broke an crystal ball when we were in Sorcerer’s Wizarding Supplies.” 

The two boys being discussed were playing on the floor in front of the two women. Currently attempting to solve a puzzle by removing one another’s pieces and placing their own. It’s safe to say that they weren’t getting very far.

Remus and Pyxis walked in with Sirius in tow, when she saw the two boys on the floor Pyxis squealed, “Harry! Draco!” Both boys looked up and grinned, “Pyx!” The three children hug each other tightly, all trying to out-squeeze one another. Pyxis could easily do it, but Remus has told her time and again to restrain herself when it comes to playing with other kids. He approaches both Narcissa and Lily and gives each a kiss on the cheek, “Hello ladies, this is a surprise, did you just get here or have you been waiting long?” 

Lily shook her head, “We just got here. Cissa and I thought to go out to Diagon earlier, then the boys started complaining for chocolate, so we brought them to Honeydukes. Then they remembered Pyxis lived nearby and well… here we are.” Sirius chuckles and shakes his head, “Those two are going to be spoiled rotten by you two.” Narcissa raised an eyebrow, “ Says the man who buys his daughter every toy she sets her eyes on at the store. At least with Lily and I it takes both boys to sway our opinion.” Sirius shrugs and looks down at his daughter, “She deserves the best. I’ll settle for nothing less.” 

Pyxis looks at her Dad, “Rhyme time?” Sirius groans, “No lovely, Daddy just let one out accidentally.” He slapped a hand over his mouth, “Merlin’s beard!” The three children snicker, the boys tugging on Pyxis’s robes to come play with them. The adults move to another room and continue their conversation.

The boys tell Pyxis how they’ve been trying to make this puzzle and she ends up laughing. They argue in a way only four year olds can, with a lot of shouting and wrestling at the end. Pyxis plays peacekeeper and says that flying on a broom is ten times better than playing with a puzzle. Within minutes the boys scramble to grab the spare training brooms and meet Pyxis by the back door.

All three of them were flying through the fields behind the cottage, making sure to keep in view of the kitchen window where the adults could see them. They chased each other reaching out to tap each other’s robes and shout, “Tag! You’re it!” They flew as fast as they could, sometimes managing to avoid a tap on the shoulder by mere inches. When Remus looked out at them from the window he smiled, “Those three are going to be the best Quidditch players Hogwarts has ever seen.” Lily followed his gaze, “Careful Remus, better not let James hear that, or he’ll be challenging his four year old for the snitch.” 

Sirius snickered at the comment, but it gave him an idea, “Why don’t we see if they really have what it takes?” The other three turned to him, and Narcissa raised an eyebrow, “How?” He gave them a cryptic smile, “You’ll see.” 

He came back about an hour after his mysterious answer with an augmented snitch in his pocket and Madam Hooch behind him. He had gone to Hogwarts to see the Quidditch coach to ask if she could augment a snitch so that the kids could play with it, “You watch, I’ll get this up in the air and you’ll see the makings of the three greatest seekers Hogwarts will ever have.” She agreed on the condition that she watch the four year olds for herself to judge them.

It was Harry who spotted them first, calling out to the other two and leading them back to where the adults were waiting. They dismounted their brooms and walked up to Sirius and the strange woman next to him, “Kids this is Madam Hooch, she’s the Quidditch coach for Hogwarts, I asked a favor of her and she said she’d do it if she could watch you guys fly.” Draco spoke up, “What was the favor?” Remus came up next to his husband, “Yes Padfoot, please tell us, what was the favor?” Sirius grinned and pulled out the snitch, the kids gasped and went bug eyed at the golden orb.

“Its a Snitch!” Sirius nodded at Draco, “An augmented one, I’ve asked Madam Hooch here to change it so that it will go slower so that you can chase after it on your training brooms. Think you’re up for the challenge?” The children glanced at each other before running off and mounting their brooms, Pyxis shouted to her Dad when they were ready, “Throw it!” Sirius grinned and threw the Snitch up, the golden wings unfurling in mid-air before it took off towards the children. 

It flew to the center of the three before darting off to the side, all three took off after it, leaning low on their brooms and keeping their eyes peeled. The adults watched as the three raced after the golden ball. You wouldn’t think that they were just children by the way they flew. Bobbing and weaving, narrowly avoiding one another sometimes when they reached for the snitch. At one point the it flew a little too high for their training brooms to go, but the kids were determined and their magic latched onto that. It broke the height safety charms placed on the brooms and they flew up to where the snitch was above the tree tops. 

Pyxis was just within reach of the golden ball, urging her broom to the fly the fastest it could go. She could see it flying just ahead of her, fingers inches away from the solid gold body. Almost tasting the victory of catching it. Behind her, Draco and Harry were gaining, pushing themselves to pass her middle and try to get to the snitch first. But she ignored them, focusing instead on what she wanted. She was so close, her fingers brushing the ball, it nearly being pulled into her grasp, she had it, she was going to catch the snitch! But Draco shoved Harry a little too hard, and he lost his grip on his broom. His eyes went wide and she saw him fall from the corner of her eyes

His fall made her forget all about the snitch. She pulled her hand back and angled her broom towards him, stretching her hand out towards him, “Harry!” Harry fell through the air, spinning and tumbling before seeing the ground. He covered his face with his hands and prayed to whatever god was listening that he wasn’t going to be hurt too bad. He saw the ground rush closer and closer, closing his eyes he waiting for the pain, instead he felt his jumper being yanked back. He felt the fabric lift above his back, making the collar tighten a little around his neck. When he felt himself being held he opened his eyes and turned around. Pyxis was hanging upside down from her broom, both hands holding the back of his collar in a death grip. 

“HARRY! PYXIS!” He turned to see all the adults rushing towards them with Draco flying not far behind. Remus reaches the two first and picks Harry up, “Pyxis its ok you can let go now.” Pyxis sighed in relief and let go of Harry’s jumper. Sirius comes up next and helps her dismount from her broom, she looks so scared and exhausted as she sags against her Dad’s legs. Draco lands next to the two kids and checks them over, his four year old mind thinking that they’ll die if he sees a single cut or bruise on them. 

Lily grips her son by the shoulders and checks him over, Remus and Sirius are doing the same with Pyxis. The little girl ignores their questions and turns to Harry, “Ok?” Harry nods once and she relaxes a little more against her parents. Narcissa is in hysterics, saying how they need to get the children to a healer to make sure nothing was wrong with them. Madam Hooch cleared her throat, the other adults jump at the sound, having completely forgotten she was there. “I don’t think those children will need to go to St. Mungos. I’ve seen a fair amount of Quidditch injuries in my time, those two should be fine, maybe a little sore, but fine.” 

The parents sigh in relief and pull their children close to them. Madam Hooch turned to Narcissa and Draco, smiling proudly at the young boy, “That was quite a catch young man. I’d say he’ll make a fine seeker when he comes to Hogwarts, same with Harry here, the boy’s a natural on the broom. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up rivaling each other.” Lily and Narcissa beamed proudly, the boys grinned at one another. “However,” Madam Hooch turns to Pyxis and her parents, the little girl’s eyes begin to flutter shut, she used too much magic to save her godbrother. The Quidditch professor looks down at her, a warm smile on her face, “This little one will surpass them both. If she hadn’t been concerned for Harry’s well being she would have caught that snitch. She managed to outfly them both while searching for it as well… You were right Sirius, they’re going to be great Seekers.”

Pyxis didn’t hear a word after, “Surpass them both,” her eyes closed and her mind went blank, sleep overtaking her tired mind. Sirius and Remus were extremely proud with the praise their daughter received, but when they saw she had fallen asleep they decided to celebrate later. “I think these three have had enough play time for today,” Remus thanks Madam Hooch before she leaves and asks Narcissa and Lily if they wanted to stay for a bit longer. Both women shake their heads, “Like you said Remus, we’ve had enough excitement for one day. I think Cissa and I should be getting home.” 

They walk back to the cottage and said their goodbyes, Pyxis was still sleeping soundly in Sirius’s arms, her head resting on his chest, curly brown hair covering half her face. Draco hands Remus the snitch and said, “She should have it,” before leaving with his mother through the floo. With everyone gone, they took her to her bedroom and laid her down on her bed. She curled up into a ball and cuddled the stuffed elephant next to her, both men kiss her forehead before activating a music box with a flick of Sirius’s wand. Remus closes the blinds with another flick and they close the door behind them.


	3. Wolves and Poppins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Full moon time for Pixie Dust. And who doesn't love a good disney movie, especially when it has Julie andrews hopping about as Mary Poppins.

The full moon is only a few hours away, and Pyxis is missing again. Remus and Pyxis have been feeling its coming for the past couple of days, trying to soldier through the pain and aches their scars give them. The sun is already beginning to set and Sirius still hasn’t found his six year old. Remus is already resting in the basement, waiting for the inevitable, but Pyxis had managed to sneak out and go somewhere before Sirius could make sure they were comfortable. 

He opened the door to her room and looked in. Everything looked in order, books on shelves, drawings on the desk, the occasional sock on the floor. The only thing that stuck out was the rumpled mass on the bed. All the blankets and covers had been bunched together, pillows acting as walls to any part of the cloth that might let in a bit of light. Sirius sighed and shook his head, walking over, he removed one pillow to lift up the bit of blanket. Pyxis looked up from where she’s hugging her stuffed elephant, her body curled into a tight ball, “I don’t want to go to the basement. The moon can get me down there.” 

Sirius raised an eyebrow, “The moon can get you here too Pixie Dust. No real way of escaping it.” She shook her head, “No it won’t. I’m completely covered, and Father and I only transform when the moon shines on us.” She points to the pillows and blankets she’s covered with, “See? The moon’s gonna get blocked by the blankets so it can’t touch me and it won’t make me change.” Sirius gave her a sympathetic look, “Well Pixie Dust, the thing is… it isn’t the light that makes you and Father change. So blankets and pillows aren’t going to be much help.” 

Her face fell a bit and she clutched her elephant tighter, “But… its only happened whenever the moon comes through the window in the basement… if it isn’t the light… what is it?” Sirius held out a hand and pulled her out from under the covers, holding her close to his chest he says, “Its magic, Pixie Dust. A curse running through your veins that knows when the full moon is up, making you transform no matter where you hide.” She whimpered, a few tears leaking out, “Why are Father and I cursed? Did we do something bad?” 

Sirius felt his heart drop and he squeezed his daughter tight, “No Pyxis. No you and your Father have done nothing wrong.” He cupped her face and made her look at him, “Listen to me alright? None of this will ever be your fault, same as none of it will be your Father’s. The both of you went through something horrible when you were both very young, and the man who did it paid for his crimes. But you two… I’m sorry lovely but you might still suffer because of it, but you’re not going to be alone. You’ll have me, your Aunt lily, your Uncle James, Harry, your Aunt Narcissa, and Draco. Pixie Dust you’ll have so many people you can rely on. Just remember, that none of this,” He motions to the setting and herself, “Is not your fault.” 

Pyxis sniffed and nodded, Sirius wiped away a stray tear, “That’s my girl. Now come on, you and Father have to take your potion.” She set the elephant down and wrappped her arms around her Dad, “Carry me?” Sirius smiled and nods, placing her on his hip before getting up to take her to the basement. 

The moon came through the window, and its gentle rays began to filter onto the stone floor of the basement. Pyxis’s eyes went wide when she saw the light and clung to Remus’s arm tightly, “Father… I’m scared…” Remus wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head, “We’re going to be ok Pixie Dust. We’ve done this before remember? We’ll be fine, you drank all of your potion right?” Pyxis nodded.

The rays grow even more and the two begin to change. Bones snap, fur sprouts, their spines bend them forward and they elongate into tails. Both letting out cries of pain, which rapidly turned into howls and whines. Sirius sat outside the basement doors, waiting until the sound of the transformation stopped before opening the doors to let them out. He hated having to sit there listening to their pain, he felt so helpless,but there was nothing he could do. Even with the potion, the transformation makes them too feral for him to get close, so he’s forced to sit and wait.

The young wolf lay panting on the stone floor. Pain from the transformation echoing throughout her body.When it became bearable enough, she tried standing and opened her eyes. The stone walls and floor looked the same, there was a considerable amount of blood on the floor though. Taking a sniff she realizes its hers. Whimpering slightly, she got to her feet and shook off her silvery white coat, a few specks fly from it landing on the floor. Are you alright? She turned, her father stood next to her, his own grey-brown coat slightly matted, several scars covering his face. I think so… How are we talking again? 

The older wolf nuzzled her neck before speaking, Animals of the same species have a strange way of speaking. Its like telepathy, but not. Her head bobbed in an attempt to nod. Remus let out a rough bark and the doors creak open, cocking her head to the side she wonders what’s going to happen next. A large black dog appears through the door, How do you two feel? Pyxis jumped, Dad?! The black dog barks out a laugh, Forgot I could do this did you Pixie Dust? She climbed the steps and emerged into the backyard, when she stood next to Sirius she realized she only came up to his shoulder.Sirius glanced down at her, Still pretty short for a werewolf pup. She huffed.

Looking out into the yard she felt the land come alive around her. She could smell the wizards that were fast asleep a few houses over, heard the rustling of a small animal running through the grass. Saw the dark night as clear as she could during the day, if not better. Everything looked different as a wolf… she couldn’t have been more excited. Remus came up behind her looked towards the forest, think you’re up for a run? She yipped excitedly and wagged her tail, both her parents barked out a laugh, alright then, lets head towards the Forbidden Forest. 

With the basement closed up, the three ran off into the night heading into the bowels of the Forbidden forest. Pyxis is six and she’s never been inside the forest, her parents thought she was still too young for that kind of run. But now she’s big enough, and the minute her paws step onto its spongy soil she knows its going to be different. The smell of the wood is so rich and heady. Out in the fields its clean, open, the grass smelling of spring and dew. But here? Its cool, closed off, she can smell the hundreds of plants that they pass in the underbrush, the animals that skitter away just as they turn corners. The ground constantly changes: from spongy to hard, from boggy crumbly; the air thrums with an unknown magic, a wild kind. 

It seeps into her skin and flows through her veins, whispering to her secrets of the woods, of the creatures in it, of the creature she is. She takes a glance at her parents, and sees they’re affected by it too, here they’re more wild, more encouraging for her to try an push herself.

Here they are free. 

Remus suggested a game of hide and seek, and the other two yip in agreement. Sirius takes the first round being it and the three of them split off in different directions. For some reason they know its safe to go alone, the forest will always bring them back together. 

Pyxis takes off, following the scent of a rabbit racing through the underbrush. She’s taken her potion, so she knows not to kill it, but it may just help her win the game. She follows the trail it leaves behind, running deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest. She smells the rabbit’s fear, hears the racing of its tiny heart, feels the rapid padding of its feet as it runs just a few feet in front of her. But then the scent vanishes and she’s forced to stop, the rabbit found its burrow and is hiding out. She huffed in frustration and looks around. She’s emerged in a clearing of some sort. 

The trees are in a ring, the ground here is hard earth covered with a sprinkling of loose soil. The place feels ominous, but at the same time, comforting. Something happened here, or… was meant to happen here. The magic of the forest shifts and there’s a flash of light, Pyxis shrunk back and ran for the cover of the trees. 

Only… its not the same night anymore. The forest has aged, the air smells of fear, pain, and death; dark magic and other spell work thick in the air. In the distance she hears the wails of crying people, smelling the wounds of the injured. The snap of a twig catches her attention and her hackles raise. Turning to the source of the noise she sees a young man walking towards her. He’s covered in dirt and grime, he’s got cuts and bruises littering his body, and his eyes look tired. Looking up he sees Pyxis and she sees a bit of light return to his eyes, “What are you doing out her all alone?” Pyxis blinks.

The young man walks over and kneels down in front of her, scratching the scruff of her neck, “where are your parents little pup?” She sniffs his hand and leaned into the young man’s touch, enjoying his pets and scratches. “Are you an orphan like me?” She licks his palm, “Hah…well, go on then. You probably don’t want to stick around for what’s next.” He removes his hand and gets up, heading in the direction of the clearing. Pyxis is curious, and a little worried for this man, so she pads after him. When he notices she’s following him he waves her off, “Go back. You really don’t want to be here for this, its better if I’m alone.”

Her Dad’s words from ealier come back, You’re not going to be alone. If she isn’t alone during her transformations, than this person shouldn’t be alone in this strange place either. She pads up alongside him and stands by him, waiting to see where he would take her. The man groans and runs a hand through his hair, a lightning bolt scar appearing through the black fringe, “Alright fine. But only to the edge of the forest alright?” She barks in agreement and follows him the rest of the way.

They reach the edge of the clearing and the young man glances down, “You really need to stay here ok? They might hurt you if you don’t.” She sits down at the edge, “Good girl… And thanks, I think I needed that.” He pets her head once more and steps into the clearing.

Its not empty anymore, there are figures with silver masks and dark robes standing in a circle. A man with a snake like face and red eyes grins maliciously at the man she’s with. The two exchange a few words, and the other people remove their masks, Pyxis’s eyes go wide when she sees her Aunt Narcissa standing amongst the others. Who are these people? The young man drops something, a ring, and the snake-wizard raises his wand. There’s a flash of green light and the young man falls to the ground, Pyxis yelps in surprise. Her mind unable to process what just happened. 

She races over to his side and barks at him, she barks and growls and yips trying to get a response out of him. She knows there’s danger about, she can smell the dark magic radiating off of the snake man, feel the fear from the rest of the group. But she doesn’t care. Pyxis tries pressing her paws on his chest, tugs on his shirt, even goes so far as to rip off his shoe, but the young man doesn’t move. 

He’s dead. 

She goes up to his face and licks his cheek, whining all the while. She’s scared, and really needs to get back to her parents. But she can’t ignore this man. She needs to do something. 

A spell hits the ground next to her, and she jumps away before it hits her, hackles raised and teeth bared. Aunt Narcissa points her wand at her, her face like stone, but her eyes show fear, “I won’t miss a second time.” Pyxis knows she’s no match, and she knows she can’t stay here anymore. She turns to run when she sees the ring he’s dropped. The band is old and battered, and the stone has a large crack running through it. Without thinking she grabs it in her mouth and takes off, the minute she reaches the edge of the clearing, there’s another flash of light and she’s back in her clearing. 

Pyxis hears the padding of two sets of paws and sees her parents running towards her. Both looking frantic and scared, Pyxis! Oh thank Merlin! They run up to her and sniff her to make sure she’s alright, Remus looks at her dead in the eye, Where have you been?! We’ve been looking for you for hours! How did you even get here? Pyxis lowered her head, legs shaking slightly, I don’t know… I… I was here, in the clearing. I was just trying to find a place to hide… And then… The memory of watching the young man die came to the front of her mind. She walked under her father and rubbed herself against his legs, thinking maybe it would stop her shaking. Someone died… I don’t know who, or how… I saw someone die Father. Dad please… I don’t know what happened… We were walking together and then he died… I’m scared…

She dropped the stone where she stood, neither of her parents saw. Remus pulled her out from under him and lay down next to her. Sirius nuzzled her with his snout to try and calm her down. Its alright Pixie Dust, the forest is strange. Shows us weird things sometimes. Don’t worry its over now. She lay down between them, covering the stone with her right paw, and lay her head down. Maybe morning would bring something better.

When Remus woke up, the three of them were still in the clearing. All of them had fallen asleep in a dog pile, literally, and now they were curled up against one another. Pyxis was fast asleep, her back resting against his chest, her head laying on Sirius’s chest. One hand clenched into a fist on the ground, the rest of her body a tight ball. Her words from last night still haunted him, what happened when she disappeared? Did she really see someone die? Remus heard a noise and turned.

Sirius was waking up, opening his mouth in a wide yawn before rubbing his eyes sleepily. Remus smiled and kissed his husband’s cheek, “Morning Padfoot.” Sirius smiled, “Morning Moony.” He looked down at the little girl on his chest whispering, “Morning Pixie Dust.” Both men give her a peck on the head before picking her up. Remus settling her on his hip, laying her head on his shoulder. Her hand is still clenched into a tight fist, but Remus doesn’t think anything of it. 

He turned to Sirius with a worried expression, “Pads… what do you think she was talking about last night?” Sirius shrugged, his brow furrowing slightly, “I don’t know Moony. We’ve seen strange things in this forest, but never something like what she described… Maybe she fell asleep before we found her and she had a nightmare.” Pyxis snuffled a little in her sleep and Remus rubbed her back, “She sounded too scared for it to have been a normal nightmare, and if it was, I don’t think she’d just be standing there like she was.” Remus nods. 

They exit the forest and make their way back to the cottage. Its close to noon now, but they’re all exhausted from the run. So they place Pyxis in her room and go to their own. Pyxis relaxed against the covers and opened her eyes, she opens her hand to look at the ring. The band is battered like she thought, several dents and chips all around the ring; the stone is black as night, and the crack running through it nearly split it in two. But what interested her the most is the symbol just below the stone, a circle inside a triangle with a line running through the middle.

~*~

Remus is laying on the couch of his living room. He’s been trying to take a nap for the past hour now, but something kept waking him up. At first he thought it was the house, maybe a gas leak or something. But when he got up to check, he found nothing wrong. Next he thought that maybe an animal had broken in, that thought lasted about five seconds before he remembered he’s would smell any foreign animal in the house. He was restless for the entirety afterwards, trying to figure out what was wrong, when it pounced on him. Literally.

His eight year old launched herself over the back of the couch and landed right on top of him. Grunting in pain, he managed to wrap his arms around her and press her tight to his chest before she did anything else. Pyxis grunted and tried to squirm away, but Remus held her fast, “Give up?” She only grunted in response, “You can’t win. You’re still too small.” Pyxis kept squirming, trying to focus on getting free. Remus chuckled and squeezed her tighter, “Say it.” The girl shook her head and Remus smirked, “You won’t win love, not with me.”

She let out a frustrated noise and stopped struggling, not lifting her head when she mutters, “… i give up…” Remus raised an eyebrow innocently, “Sorry pup, I can’t hear you, your mumbling, could you say that again.” He felt her growl against his chest and waited, another “i give up” was said, slightly louder this time. He chuckled, “I still can’t hear you pup.” She lifted her head up, grey eyes glaring into blue, “I. Give. Up. Happy?” He snorted and pecked his daughter’s forehead, “Yes, now get off you lump.” 

She rolled off him, landing on the floor next to the couch, huffing a little to blow the hair out of her face. “I thought you went with your dad?” She shook her head, “Jumped out at the last second, thought scaring you was a better idea.” Remus chuckled and ruffled her hair, “Well… nice try. You had me going there for a while, how’d you mask your scent?” She lifted her arms up and he saw she was wearing one of his jumpers, the red one with frayed sleeves, if she was standing up it would probably look like a dress.“Thought maybe this would throw you off.” He grinned, “Good choice, I didn’t pick you up until you were actually on me.” She smiled at that.

He budged over on the couch so she could sit next to him, she curled up to his side and tucked her legs in to pull the jumper over them. “You really like that jumper don’t you? This is the third time I’ve seen you wear it.” She nodded and buried herself further into the cloth, “S’ warm ‘nd fuzzy.” He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head, “Wanna watch a movie?” She smiled, “Yeah!” Remus chuckled and got up off the couch, leaning down to look through the VHS tapes that they had, “Which one?” “Oliver and Company! No wait! The Black Cauldron! No! Peter Pan! Wait, we watched that before dad left…Ugh… I can’t decide…” Remus smiled and pulled one at random, “Marry Poppins?” His daughter nodded vigorously, “Mary Poppins it is.” 

Thirty minutes later

Sirius drove up to the cottage on his bike and removed his helmet. Lugging up the groceries, he wondered why his daughter chose to hop out of the side car, maybe she took his advice and went inside to try and scare Remus. Chuckling at the thought, he opened the door.

He was greeted with an amusing sight. In the living room, his husband and his daughter were singingly along loudly, and badly, to Mary Poppin’s Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Pyxis was on top of the couch and jumping up and down in time with the music. Remus was right next to her, doing his best to dance along with Dick van Dyke, he was failing miserably. He watched the two continue their dance until the end of the song, both Remus and their daughter trying to do the ending steps and ending up on their bums instead. 

Sirius couldn’t stop himself and ended up dropping the groceries because he was laughing so hard. The other two turned around, Remus was blushing madly whilst Pyxis grinned and ran towards Sirius, “DAD!” Sirius got himself under control and kneeled down so that he could catch her. The two ended up falling over and nearly suffocating on the jumper she was wearing, “Hey Pixie Dust. How did the plan go?” She pushed herself up and pouted, “I surprised him, but he still overpowered me.” 

Sirius picked her up and grabbed the groceries, “I told you you’re not strong enough yet. I’m not even strong enough to overpower him.” “And don’t you forget it.” Remus helped his husband with the rest of the bags and the three made their way to the kitchen.

Setting the bags and their daughter on the counter Sirius asked about the jumper, “It was the only way I could mask my scent! Father’s nose is better than mine, so I had to do something.” Sirius nodded, “I remember using that same technique back at school, can’t use it too often though, he’ll catch on.” Remus snorted, “That and the fact that you two are still talking about it around me will let me know you’re going to do it again.” She stuck her tongue out at him. 

“By the way Pyxis, guess who wants to come visit this weekend?” She turned to Sirius, “Who?” He smirked, “Your cousin of course.” Pyxis squealed and hopped off of the kitchen counter top, “Harry’s coming! Harry’s coming!” Her magic picked up on her mood, and while she was running in circles she began to float. Remus smiled and grabbed her before she got too high, “Careful pup, don’t go to Neverland just yet.” She giggled and her magic stopped, Remus caught her before she fell to the floor, “Alright missy, why don’t we finish up the movie with your dad. I hear he knows all the dance moves to Steppin’ Time.” Sirius flipped his hair dramatically, “Of course I do, and I look fabulous doing it.”


	4. Birthdays and Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's growing so fast. Time for big girl brooms and letters to Hogwarts. Packing and apprehension, Snitches and Rings, Goodbyes and See you soon's. Don't worry little pup, you're not alone.

Febuary 12, 1990

Sirius is cooking in the kitchen when he sees the blur of brown hair race outside. Its followed shortly after by a blur of black hair and a blur of blonde, he looks up out the window to see the three children mounting up on their new brooms. Once they’re in the air, Pyxis opens her palm and a golden snitch flies out. It hovers in the center of the three for a moment before darting upward and out of sight. They chase after it and fly so fast that the only way Sirius can tell where they are is by the blurs of color streaking across the fields. 

Its Pyxis’s tenth birthday, and she’s invited her cousin Draco and god brother Harry for a bout of chasing the snitch before they all go in for cake. Sirius is chuckling as he places the last plate on the rack, with a flick of his wand they’re all dry and float themselves to their places in the cupboard. James comes up behind Sirius and grabs a beer from the fridge, “Those three are great on brooms aren’t they.” Sirius nods, “Harry’s a natural on a brom, he’s gonna wipe the floor with your plaque when he gets to Hogwarts. While Draco is probably going to wipe the floor with him.” James chuckles, “While that may be true, Pyxis is going to wipe the floor with both those boys, look at the way she flies. You’re daughter’s going to go pro I just know it.”

Sirius smiles and grabs his own beer, “Its all up to her. Although, there’s one thing holding her back.” James pales, “Oh damn Padfoot I di—” “If she could just worry about the damn snitch instead of the other players, she might actually have a shot.” He takes a swig of his beer and glances at his friend from the corner of his eye, James has his mouth open still, looking at Sirius with wide eyes. Then he just laughs and runs a hand through his hair, “You’re right… you’re right. She’s got a good heart though. If it wasn’t for her, Harry might not be flying out there right now.” 

Everyone gathers outside to either play or watch the Quidditch game. Narcissa and Lily sit on transfigured chairs and watch the others play. There are three teams: James and Harry, Sirius and Pyxis, Remus and Draco. Each adult was acting as chasers while all the kids were the seekers; first team to 180 points, or caught the snitch, wins. Pyxis flew to the center of them all and threw the Quaffle, they rushed it, with Sirius emerging from the fray with the Quaffle under his arm. The other adults chased after him, trying to steal the it away. Pyxis came up behind James and put on a burst of speed, making sure that she was only inches away from him and his broom. That startled him into diving down to avoid her and gave her Dad the opportunity to score ten points. Harry called out to her, “That’s cheating!” She stuck her tongue out at him, “I didn’t touch him or shove him.” 

Remus got the ball next and started flying towards Sirius’s hoop, James managed to fly opposite him and snatched the ball away Draco shouts something like “Foul!” but its ignored. Pyxis wants to rush him again, but knows Harry is watching her so she flies in front of her and her Dad’s hoop in case her Uncle wants to try scoring. James noticed her guarding the hoop so he aimed for Remus and Draco’s, the two in question chased after him, trying to stop him from getting to the hoop, but James was fast and scored ten points.

This went on for a while, all of them dodging and blocking, trying to steal the Quaffle from one another and score some points. The scores were 40 points for Sirius and Pyxis, 20 points for Remus and Draco, and 10 points for James and Harry. While Sirius was trying to get another ten points by shooting into James’s hoop, Draco spotted the snitch. It was hovering over by Pyxis’s hoop, leaning forward on his broom he chased after it. Pyxis was trying to get the older men off of her Dad when she saw Draco flying, her eyes went wide and she looked at the path he took and saw the snitch. Abandoning her Dad to his fate she pushed her broom to go as fast as it could; Harry followed, knowing that wherever she went, the snitch wasn’t far ahead. 

The snitch made a dive for the ground just before Draco was going to grab it, Pyxis banked downward in time and tried her own luck. But Harry bumped her a little and pushed past, it flew off to the right and all three were forced to change direction. Harry got closest to the golden orb, he was leaning closer and closer to his broom handle to push it faster. His glasses pressed close to his face, he stretched out his hand to try and grab the snitch. But it pulled up at the last second and Harry was forced to swerve sharply to the right to avoid running into a hoop pole. 

Draco saw where it went and shot after it. He flew only a few inches from the ground, body flush with his broom, chasing after the snitch like Voldemort himself was on his tail. The snitch tried turning left, right, flying up, flying down, but no matter what it did it could not shake Draco. It even flew in the middle of where the adults were trying to grab the Quaffle, Draco didn’t even blink as he flew straight through them in order to chase the snitch. The men however, saw the hurtling nine year old and immediately swerved away to avoid hitting him. Causing them to crash into each other. 

Draco was finally only inches from the snitch, his fingers continually brushing the golden surface of it. He was so close he could taste it. But it turned at the last second and made him crash right into Harry, the boys hit each other head on with a loud CRUNCH! Their impact left them in a daze and they both fell off their brooms. Luckily they were only a foot or two off the ground, so when they fell nothing was broken. Each clutching their heads in pain, they groaned from the splitting headache pounding against their skulls. 

Pyxis saw the boys on the ground and her sense of worry took over, she flew down to see if they were ok when a voice called out to her, “Don’t you DARE, waste that free SNITCH!” She turned to see Narcissa glaring at her from where she sat, Lily was nodding along with her. Pyxis bit her lip and looked down at the other two, they seemed fine, and were already mounting back up on their brooms. She let out a sigh of relief and focused back on the game, keeping her eyes peeled for a golden ball. 

Spotting it by the upper branches of one of the nearby trees, she raced towards it. She was maybe a foot away when the Quaffle was thrown so close to her head that she had to bank away from the snitch, Remus grimaced, “Sorry Pup!” She glared at him and looked around, having lost the snitch. It had darted back into the fray, flying straight as an arrow towards her parents,leaning nearly flush with her broom she raced after it. The snitch shot towards another hoop, and she pulled up a bit to follow it, streamlining towards it. She reached her hand out and made to grab it, but Harry rushed past her and nearly knocked her off her broom. She turned to see him smirking, “I didn’t touch you right? So its not a foul.” 

Pyxis stuck her tongue out at him and raced forward. The snitch flew higher now, going as high as the clouds; Pyxis was riding a real broom instead of the flimsy training kind, she smirked charged after the snitch. She reached out again and urged her broom faster. But at the last second the snitch dove down towards the ground. “Bloody Fuck!” She slapped a hand over her mouth and looked around frantically before diving, hoping neither of her parents heard her curse. 

The snitch was still diving, even as it passed the other players and the roof of the house. Pyxis felt reckless and chased after it, paying no mind to the people calling her name, yelling for her to stop diving. She reached her hand out the snitch only inches away, the pads of her finger nearly pulling the ball into her palm. The ground rushed up and she saw every blade in detail, but Pyxis was still hurtling to the ground. With one last push, she made those few inches and grabbed the snitch and then pulled her broom up with all her strength. She managed to straighten out and bust forward, her broom an inch from the ground, parallel to the hard earth. Grinning she held up her hand, the snitch glittering in the noonday sun.

Everyone let out cheers. The Quaffle was all but forgotten, and Remus flew down and scooped Pyxis right off her broom. He held her up by her armpits saying, “She Finally Caught It!” Another round of cheers went up, and Remus pulled her into a tight hug. They landed on the ground and she was surrounded on all sides by her family. Since that day when she was four, Pyxis had always missed the snitch, the majority of the time on purpose. She thought that if she was selfish enough to try and grab it again, something bad would happen. But now here she was, holding it in the palm of her hand.

Sirius cups her face and kisses her forehead, “You’re gonna wipe the floor at Hogwarts Pixie Dust.” She laughs and wraps her arms around his neck in a hug, Lily and Narcissa congratulate her ten times over, Harry and Draco give her hugs and slap her back in congratulations. Remus smiled and said, “Come on everyone, this calls for cake.” More cheers, and they all make their way into the house. 

They put on party hats and sit Pyxis at the head of the table in front of her cake. Sirius grins and lit the candles with a simple Incendio, “Alright everyone, lets sing to the birthday girl!” They all take a dramatic inhale before belting out:

Today is here, the day of your birth  
My how big must’ve been your mother’s girth.  
Ten years old you are today!  
So we’ve all come together to sing Happy Birthday!

 

Soon you’ll be old and droll  
Granted you’re much smarter than a troll.  
So eat up and make merry, enjoy this time of play,  
and remember, we’ve come together to sing Happy Birthday!

At the end of the song, she blew out the candles with a flourish, while Harry and Draco shove her face in the cake after. Her jaw dropped and icing dripped from her face, she licked the parts around her lips and said, “This is really good cake.” The others laughed and someone cast a cleaning charm to wipe her down. The parts that hadn’t served as a landing pad for her face were handed out amongst the others and everyone sat down to eat. Both Harry and Draco ate their cake so fast that they got brain freeze, Pyxis pointed her fork at the two of them and smirks, “Karma!”

She receives several presents from her family. James and Lily bought her new quidditch gloves, and Harry got her a signed copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. Narcissa presented her with a roll of music sheets from both muggle and wizard composers, Pyxis had recently been learning to play the piano from Remus; while Draco bought her a book on magical creatures throughout the world. Sirius smiled and presented her with an enchanted crystal globe, when she touched it, the globe started to glow shining all eighty-eight constellations onto the walls around her. 

Remus was the last one to give her a gift. It was wrapped in silver packaging with a white bow on top, when she opened it she found a photo album. Seeing her confused face Remus chuckled and said, “Open it.” She did, on the first page was the photograph of a beautiful young woman with bright auburn hair and grey eyes. Pyxis’s jaw dropped and she flipped to the next page. More photographs of the woman were shown, flying on a broom, working on a potion, reading a book and flipping two fingers at the camera. The pictures changed after a while to baby pictures of Pyxis, with her parents, by herself, running around, sleeping, even a few of her as a wolf during the full moon. 

Tears rimmed her eyes and she looked at her parents, “Is that… was that my mom?” Remus wrapped an arm around her and held her tight, nodding he said, “Yeah. It took your Dad and I a while to track her down, we thought you might want to see how she looked.” Pyxis pulled the book tight to her chest and hugs her father tight, “Thank you. I love you both.” Remus hugged her back and kissed her forehead, “We love you too. Just thought you wanted to see where your looks came from.” He glanced over at Sirius, “Since you obviously didn’t inherit them from your dad.” 

Sirius snorted, “Well excuse me if my devilishly handsome looks aren’t hereditary.” The others laughed and Pyxis smiled, all of them gathered round for a group hug, nearly crushing her in the process.

~*~

Remus was tapping his foot, leaning against the wall by the front door. He looks up to call out, “We are going to be late if you two don’t hurry up!” There’s a rush of footsteps from the back of the house, and Pyxis runs down the hallway, toting her suitcase behind her. Sirius runs after her, carrying her book bag and the cage with her owl Nashira, “Ok we’re here! Lets go!” Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “You’ve got everything packed up then?” Pyxis nods, bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

Sirius glanced down at her, “Everything?” She nods once more, her impatience showing on her face, “Come on! We’re gonna miss the train if we wait anymore.” Her parents chuckle and open the door, “Ok lets go.” Pyxis raced out the door and heads toward her Dad’s bike, stowing the suitcase in the compartment behind her before hopping in the side car. The two men pack in the rest of the things alongside her trunk, shrinking down the suitcase and book bag so that her owl can sit comfortably. Mounting up, Sirius takes hold of the handles and revs the engine, “Goggles and helmets the both of you.” The other two comply, Sirius turned the bike around, guning it down the road, taking off into the sky once they come to the first intersection. 

Sirius watched as Pyxis runs full speed through the barrier to platform 9 and 3/4. She vanishes in the blink of an eye and he can’t help but smile when he and Remus push the trolley past. She’s standing wide eyed and slack-jawed just outside of it, trying to take in the enormous steam engine with wizards and witches bustling everywehre. Remus and Sirius share a nostalgic smile, remembering their own first glimpse of the hulking mass of metal. Remus goes over to Pyxis while Sirius goes to place her luggage with the other student’s. He kneels down and places a hand on her shoulder, “You alright Pixie Dust?” She nodded slowly, “Its so big… Are you sure its only students riding it?”

He gave an affirming “hmmm.” Turning her around so she could look him in the eye, he asks, “You’re not having second thoughts are you?” Pyxis shook her head, “No…” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, “I’m a little scared…” Remus raised an eyebrow, “Of what love? Is the train gonna eat you up?” She giggled and shook her head, “No… its just… what if the other kids don’t like me. Or they think I’m too weird to work with. Or I do make some friends and then they find out…” She put a hand over the bite mark on her neck, its so small now compared when they first saw it. Remus placed a hand on both shoulders, making her look up at him, “Now listen to me Pyxis Diana Lupin.You’re forgetting that you’re not going to school alone. You’ve got Harry and Draco going with you, and they already know what an amazing girl you are. And if anyone was going to bother you over what you are, then I bet those two are going to make sure they never do it again.”

Pyxis smiled and nods, “Plus pup, you forget that you’re the daughter of a couple war heroes. No one’s gonna mess with you, plus you’ve got the strength to back it up. I remember when we went to Diagon how some kid started to bug Draco for being a Death Eater’s son. By the time Narcissa and I got there you’d already beat that kid bloody, lucky his crying only made things look worse than he was.” She laughed at that, Sirius came up behind Remus and smiled at the two of them, “Everything ok?” Remus looked at her and raised an eyebrow, Pyxis bit her lip and nods. “That’s good because I just spotted your tagalongs and I think they’re running over here.” 

Pyxis looked over her father’s shoulder to see Harry and Draco racing towards them, their parents lagging behind. Her nerves vanish and she meets the boys halfway, they talk excitedly about Hogwarts and the next nine months. The train whistle shrieks, signaling to the students the last call to board. The three children make their way to the car doors and say their goodbyes. They hop inside and rush to find an empty compartment, when they do, they lean out the window and wave towards their parents, shouting goodbye’s and see you soon’s all the while.

The train whistled once more and the car doors close. Red wheels turn slowly and the engine blows out large puffs of steam. Remus and Sirius wave, a feeling of fear courses through them, they aren’t ready to let her go yet. Racing along with the train, they try to keep up with the window she’s leaning out of, thinking of the little baby they met ten years ago. Both men wipe their faces of tears as they finally reach the end of the platform. Pyxis watched as they get smaller and smaller, two little dots against the grey stone of the station.

She leans back in to find Harry and Draco already sitting, talking about what house they’ll go into, and what the professors will be like. Pyxis sits down across from them and puts her hand in her pocket, her fingers brush the gold snitch, smiling as it clinks against the damaged ring with its broken stone. She’s eleven now, and its the first time she’s going without her parents, but she knows she’s not alone. Her hand closes around the two mementos as she wished for a good year, good marks, and the time when she can see them again. 

To be continued…


End file.
